Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — The Rensselaer baseball team won both games of a doubleheader
against Vassar and completed the sweep of a four game weekend series, beating the Brewers 6-3 and 16-3.  For the Red Hawks, the two wins extended their winning streak to 17 games, setting a new school record for most consecutive victories.

RPI, which had already clinched the best record in the Liberty League, improves to 32-8 overall - one win from tying the school record for victories in a season - and finish the regular season at 20-4 in league games. The Brewers close out their season at 6-31 and 4-18.

Rensselaer took advantage of two Vassar errors and scored two unearned runs in the first against Vassar starting pitcher Quinn Robinson (Douglas, WY/Douglas) on its way to capturing game one. Michael Passante (Highland, NY/Highland) led off the game with the first of his three singles, and, after moving up on a sacrifice bunt, scored on an error. Designated hitter Jason Pollard (Hudson, NY/Hudson) singled and scored on an error.

The Red Hawks added to their lead in the fifth, plating a pair of runs without recording a hit out of the infield. Two infield singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs for outfielder Sean Wilkes (Troy, NY/Catholic Central). Wilkes hit a dribbler back to the mound, and Dan Valentine (Goshen, CT/Avon Old Farms) raced home to beat Robinson’s flip to the catcher. Robinson got two strikeouts sandwiched around a sacrifice fly to score the Red Hawks’ fourth run to end the inning.

Robinson pitched the full seven innings, giving up six runs, four earned, and 10 hits. He walked two batters and struck out three.

RPI counterpart Luke Calzone (Bethel, CT/Bethel) dominated the Brewers over the first four innings, allowing just one baseruner on a walk to improve to 9-0.  Vassar broke through in the fifth inning, starting with a one out walk.  Freshman Zach Miller (San Francisco, CA/Lick-Wilmerding) broke up the no-hitter with a bloop single to right. An infield hit loaded the bases for
second baseman John Mandel (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Chaminade-Madonna), who hit a groundball that the RPI infield couldn’t handle. Two runs scored on the error, cutting the lead to 4-2.

Calzone pitched five innings, allowing two runs on just two hits. He had four walks against three strikeouts. After a leadoff walk in the sixth, Andrew Novick (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) came in to relieve Calzone. Novick allowed one run and two hits in two innings, and picked up his third save of the year.

Passante had three hits for RPI, and scored twice. He also stole two bases, while his teammates added another seven swipes.

The bottom of the order, Miller and leftfielder Jon Feingold (Florence, MA/Northampton) each had two of the Brewers’ four hits.

In the second game, Passante again led off the first with a single and came around to score in
the first frame of the second contest. RPI added two runs more runs in the second and three in the fourth.

Already up 6-1, the Red Hawks scored six runs with two outs in the fifth to put the game away against Vassar starter Bobby Muller (Melville, NY/St. Anthony’s). After two quick outs, RPI recorded seven hits, a walk and a hit batsman to take a 12-1 lead. The big hit in the inning was a two run triple by shortstop Matt Muscatiello (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane).

RPI starter Charles Yarnold (Budd Lake, NJ/Mount Olive) pitched six innings, allowing solo runs in the first and fifth. He allowed six hits and one walk, and struck out six Brewers. Yarnold closed the regular season with a 7-1 record.

Wilkes had four hits and four RBI for the Red Hawks. Catcher Stevan Slusher Pedricktown, NJ/Penns Grove) went 4-6 with three runs scored and three RBI and Muscatiello had three hits and three RBI.

Playing in their final games, seniors Ivan Cedillo (El Paso, TX/Bel Air) and Paul Noonan (Middlebury, CT/Pomperaug) each had a pair of hits, an RBI, and a stolen base. Senior catcher Will Sugerman (San Francisco, CA/Lowell) also recorded two hits and also caught two runners stealing. The fourth senior hitter, designated hitter Sean Handy (Westfield, MA/Suffield Academy) chipped in a single.